Green Home NYC Forum: Sustainable Storm-Water Management

This Meetup took place on Wednesday, March 16, 2011 from 6:30-8:00 at the Toto showroom at 25 Mercer St. (btwn Canal and Grand) and was hosted by Green Home NYC.

You can view this page for more information on the speakers.

Speakers:
Jack Coogan - Building Scale Solutions: OCV Architects

Coogan is the RA and Principle at OCV Architects and spoke mainly about one specific project in the Bronx. The building consists of 18 units and his company reduced construction costs enough to install a rainwater collection tank. Calculating using NY's average annual rainfall of 49.7 inches, the roof's area of 2850 square feet, and a 95% capture rate (for a total capture of 80,000 gallons), they figured that each apartment could flush their toilet 9 1/3 times per day just on the grey water collected. After completing the project, however, they found that each unit actually flushes their toilet 25.5 times per day! So, the grey water mixes with fresh water to make up for the difference. With 1 cent per gallon water costs, and 1.3 gallons per flush, Coogan calculates an $800 per year savings (it is worth noting that the system cost $18,000 to install - 12 year pay back). 

Susannah C. Drake AIA, ASLA - Rising Currents: A New Urban Ground

Drake spoke of a project she worked on with Stephan Cassell and Adam Yarinsky on the infrastructure issues that will result from sea level rise (climate change) in NY Harbor. They were one of five teams to participate in the challenge to create a solution to projected sea level rise of 6 ft (plus 18 feet for a storm surge). Each team was assigned one spot on the NY Harbor, her team focusing on the 500 acres that comprise lower Manhattan.  Their calculations revealed that 21% of lower Manhattan will be covered in 100 years, with 68% susceptible to the storm serge.

We currently dump 500 million gallons of sewage water into the harbor each week! Their plan consists of permeable street beds with water proof vaults for cables and other lines. The tip of Manhattan would become an urban estuary (close to a swamp) and the east side would become a salt marsh with an urbanester and a sunken forest.

You can read more about the project and view photos at the dlandstudio website and on the MOMA page.

Tatiana More - Stormwater: Waste or Resource

More spoke about CSO, or Combined Sewage Overflow. She also shared a theme I have found particularly relevant in my recent blogging and exploration of the sustainability field - that there are "Silos of information, but no conduits." 
According to More, the MTA uses 2.6 Billion gallons of potable water per year! The water filtration system was built on a plot of land with a high water table which had to be subsequently drained and then refilled - a huge waste! These two examples show some the inefficient manor in which things are done in NYC.
Her program, the NYCSWCD, works in consort with the SWIM coalition and measures soil moisture saturation, evapotranspiration rates, and does pollution analysis of their water absorption projects to find the most efficient solution for a specific area. She gave some details on specific projects they have done recently.


Thomas O'Connor - Stormwater Solutions REsearch: EPA Office of Research and Development

O'Connor works in the water supply and water resources division of the Urban Watershed Management Branch of the EPA. He works on management of wet-weather flows and the aging water infrastructure. The New Jersey office of R&D is 20 acres on which models are tested for optimization.

He spoke specifically of two projects they have recently worked on - one for semipermeable parking lots, and the other for green spaces which are meant to absorb extra water.

Sustain is an online decision optimization engine used by his office. 

Questions for Consideration:

1. How can we encourage CSR like that being practiced at Toto to come from all companies?
2. How can we get people to understand the resources their using when they don't see where they come from and where their waste goes?
3. Do we need to completely redevelop our infrastructure? 
4. What can we do about diverting more of NYC's sewage from the ocean?
5. How can we communicate the level of urgency to the people who just don't care?

About GreenHomeNYC:
"The Green Building Forum is held on the third Wednesday of each month (except December) at 6:30 PM and features presentations by green building practitioners followed by discussion. The events are always free and open to the general public."


About Toto:

"TOTO is the world’s largest plumbing products manufacturer. We offer a complete line of commercial and decorative plumbing fixtures and fittings, faucets, accessories, shower and flush valves, as well as lavatories, toilets, Air Baths and urinals. More than 1,500 TOTO engineers and their colleagues are committed to achieving the seamless integration of performance, conservation, technology, and innovation.

For over 90 years, we have been producing superbly designed, high performance lifestyle enhancing plumbing products for residential bathrooms and commercial restrooms. While we understand our customers want products that have great design, we concentrate on creating a more enjoyable bathroom experience through products that infuse sophisticated style with substance, optimize water conservation and provide consistent, exceptional performance.

For example, TOTO embraced water and energy conservation years before government mandates. Through our constantly evolving manufacturing practices and advanced technology, we consistently lead the way in plumbing fixture efficiency and sustainability. Advanced innovations such as our EcoPower® fittings and valves, and our highly active participation in and support of the United States Green Build Council (USGBC), have made TOTO a world leader in plumbing products that have helped to advance society and help protect its future at the same time.

Our state-of-the-art plant in Morrow, Georgia is a testament to conservation and quality control. For example, we recycle the water we use as well as thoroughly treating it before returning it to the county. From our molding process to the final changes, our products are constructed and fine-tuned with computer precision and relentless attention to detail. Our pursuit of excellence pushes us beyond industry standards and drives us to maintain our reputation as one of the most decorated plumbing manufacturers in the world.

After nearly a century of experience, we are committed to maintaining the perfect balance of form, function and design. TOTO is Luxury in Balance."

Wildlife Rehabilitation Meetup at the ASPCA

I have removed the hurtful comments from this post. I welcome fact-based debate (opinions must also be backed up by facts in order to be convincing), however, the comments I have removed are not rooted in the statements of this post. 


I am temporarily adding moderation for comments on the blog in order to promote a fact-based debate on this topic - I will approve all comments that are based on my article (including opposing arguments) unless they contain vulgar or insulting language.


Dear Readers,


I was deeply saddened while reading the recent comments on this blog post. I feel as if there has been a disconnect between how this post paints me and my true opinions and personality. I will do my best to respond to the comments and to clarify any misunderstandings that have resulted from my review.

To start, I believe there may be some misconceptions on my background. I am a senior in high school and started this blog as an independent project. I have been interested in the environment since a young age and have taken the last few months to immerse myself in the environmental movement, trying to learn as much as possible. I take every situation as one to learn from - including the response to this post - and will work very hard to be more careful about my phrasing and controversial statements in the future. I would like to add that I have written 68 posts on this blog and only 2 of them have been negative reviews. I learn something from every event I go to, but I will not agree with everything I hear.

The goal of my blog is to learn and to start a discussion. I believe in fact-based debate and that is why I left comments completely enabled (unlike most bloggers who use some type of moderation). I added the moderation because many of the comments on this post were not based on my writing.

I will respond to the comments that were based on my actual writing:

First, I would like to clear up any confusion on the section I generally put at the end of my posts - Questions for Consideration. There are solely questions I think of while at the event or writing my article. Unless I answer them, they do not imply my opinions. I see that my comment on the course of nature was not understood as I intended - and I apologize for the poor wording. I believe, however, that it is a question that many people would think of when learning about orthopedic surgery for squirrels. One must consider the overall impact and whether it will cause the animal more pain and suffering (this is something that was discussed at the event.) and whether there is something else that we could invest in that would have a broader impact.

I think that wildlife rehabilitation is incredible and the gift some people have to work with animals is really special. In no part of my original piece did I put down or criticize the great work that rehabbers do or try to tell anyone to stop their work; I simply challenged the community to look at a broader picture.  My main point was that we need to look at the big picture in addition to individuals and decide where our resources will have the greatest impact.

As far as the claim that water bottles just aren't that big of a deal…I think we can all now agree that it is important to focus on both the details (individual creatures, etc.) and the big picture (entire species, ecosystems, etc.). Despite which category you think water bottles fit into, why create more waste?
Here is an article with some good statistics: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/enough-with-the-plastic-water-bottles-already.html#.

I hope this clears up any misunderstanding that arose from my post.

Best,
Sara

_________________

To be quite honest, I was a little wary heading over to the ASPCA office for this meeting tonight. In general, I tend to believe that the ASPCA is too concerned with very specific cases of the well-being of domesticated animals and not the bigger picture of ecological wellness. Don't get me wrong, the ASPCA helps many animals in need, but seriously, we're talking about entire species going extinct, in fact, here are some statistics (each fact links to its source):

• 10,801 endangered animal species worldwide (the link is attached to a list)
• 9,322 endangered plant species worldwide (also attached to a list)
• "Destructive human activities have led to the current rate of species extinction, which is at least 100–1,000 times higher than the expected natural rate." WWF

Tonight's Meetup was concerning the rehabilitation of squirrels:

I was relatively appalled when they mentioned orthopedic surgery, casts, and splints for squirrels who had been injured in the wild. Then I cringed when the first speaker mentioned "Feng Shui" to minimize stress and help the squirrels heal. Wildlife rehabilitation is incredible and the gift some people have to work with animals is really special.  However, I think it is necessary to look at the big picture in addition to individuals and decide where our resources will have the greatest impact - whether we should be spending the money on orthopedic surgery or on awareness and prevention of the harmful human actions humans that endanger the wildlife. Although the human soul makes it difficult to resist trying all you can to help a cute animal, which action will have a bigger impact? It is a hard decision to make. [I inadvertently deleted a fantastic comment and have added it at the bottom of this piece - It really shows how hard these decisions can be.]

To make it even worse, THEY SERVED BOTTLED WATER! Yes, the ASPCA, animal advocate, served those insanely wasteful mini Poland Spring bottles.

At one point, almost ready to shout something at the speaker who kept taking sips from her mini bottle [while talking about the risk of oil spills…], I turned to the person next to me and we had the following conversation:

Me: How can we drink bottled water while talking about wildlife conservation?

Her: What?

Me: You know, bottled water is just so horrible for wildlife.

Her: What? In what way?

Wow. I just stopped talking at that point. I couldn't even believe that this woman was concerned enough about wildlife to trek to the Meetup, yet doesn't know the dangers of bottled water….

Speakers:

Sorry, I didn't catch the name of the first speaker. She spoke about the rehabilitation process for squirrels, both newborn and adult.

Kelly Pile: Who read an ode to the first speaker, her mentor.

Maura Mandrano: She spoke about rehabilitating 104 squirrels total to release and how she now rehabs about 15 in her 900 square foot apartment.

Dr. Alexandra Wilson: Vet for the Wild Bird Fund and Center for Avian and Exotic Medicine.

Questions for consideration:

1.             What ecological impact do squirrels have on our local environment?

2.             How can we improve the overall ecological health of NYC and limit human impact on the few remaining natural species?

3.             How can we increase education of the topic of nature to students in NYC, being in such an urban environment? [because if they don't know, then they can't appreciate, and if they don't appreciate then they won't care or want to help]

4.             Should one ever consider letting nature takes it course and using resources to help the bigger picture, even if it is extremely difficult to let an individual slip away? [I don't really think anyone has a perfect answer to this...]

5.             How can you serve bottled water at an ASPCA meeting?

As always, please comment if you have something to say.

This Meetup took place on Tuesday, March 8, 2011, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at the ASPCA Midtown Manhattan Office (520 8th Ave) and was hosted by the Mayor's Alliance for Animals.

If you are at all interested in finding out more about this Meetup, here's their page: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/NYCWildlife/

Anonymous: Only days ago my employment was terminated when an injured squirrel came in and I begged the owner to let me find a rehabber to care for it rather than have its life so thoughtlessly terminated. I know a number of rehabbers that would have GLADLY taken on this case. But instead, she refused - and when the police officers who brought him in asked what his fate would be and I told them, truthfully, that he would be euthanized - I apparently "offended" the emergency vet owner by "speaking poorly" of the establishment. Apparently she would rather I lie to the police becase the truth is offensive. If the truth is offensive then something is innately wrong with that truth - that is the point where people who give a damn would make a policy change. Instead, I was let go due to the offensiveness of that truth and her inability to face not only the facts, but her own twisted internal pride for the "wrongness" of the system. And the truth is - I would do it again in a heartbeat. Would I go about it somewhat differently, knowing the outcome? Certainly - but it probably wouldnt make any difference. The facts are the facts and the facts are WRONG. We have no right to play God and to treat and rehab one animal, while we refuse to give another even the scrap of a chance. And you will never understand the passion involved in squirrel rehab until you do it yourself. I went about my life as if they were merely a part of the background scenery until two helpless little babies were dropped into my lap. I was told by everyone in my area in charge of rehabbing to have them put down because they were too young to survive. I refused to accept that answer and today they are two big, beautiful, healthy young adult squirrels wilding up to get ready for their release and I will never again brush off, ignore, or take another squirrel for granted. There may be a lot of them, but their intelligence, affection and their passion for life have completely won me over. You will never comprehend the beauty of these little critters until you experience it first hand - until you see that mischevious twinkle in their little eyes, or you get a grateful, formula-whiskered kiss once their helpless little tummies are full and they curl up in your lap and doze into a happy little milk coma.

I believe all animals have souls - and the soul of a squirrel is a beautiful thing to know.